Being Big Isn't Necessarily Good
In Japan's Changing Ad Market

W ITH 1.48 trillion yen ($11.8 billion) in 1997 billings, Japan's Dentsu has the reputation of being the biggest advertising agency in the world. But that isn't necessarily a good thing.

Take, for instance, this fact: When Dentsu hired a new executive creative director for its New York agency DCA Advertising a year ago as part of its plan to boost its profile in the U.S., he knew one thing about Dentsu. "It was just huge,"...